Elia Powers

Background

About Elia Powers

I'm an associate professor of journalism at Towson University and author of the book Performing the News: Identity, Authority, and the Myth of Neutrality (Rutgers University Press). My research focuses primarily on self-presentation in broadcasting and podcasting, audience perceptions of news presenters, and relational trust in journalism. I also study how news organizations can assess their civic impact and promote their relevance. I've been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Journalism Studies, Digital Journalism, Newspaper Research Journal, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media and Journal of Media Business Studies. I've taught courses such as podcasting, multimedia reporting capstone, feature writing, media audiences and analytics, mass communication research, news writing and reporting, sports writing, journalism history, journalism ethics and media literacy. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, I attended and later taught at the National High School Institute (Cherubs program). I am an independent audio reporter/producer. Before that I was a contributor to MediaShift, a site that covers the intersection of media and technology. As a journalist for more than 15 years, I've covered media, higher education, health, business, politics, sports, the environment and the arts for publications such as The Los Angeles Times, Inside Higher Ed and The St. Louis Beacon. I created and produced podcasts at Inside Higher Ed and started a blog aimed at young readers while at the St. Louis Beacon.